Of Love and War Book 3: In The Thick of Battle

Chapter 13: Season 2 (Children of the Force)

As the shuttle touched down, Zelina turned to Cruiser and the other men in her group. "You all did a good job; get some rest while we're here, I have a feeling you'll have a decent amount of time to get some rest," she said as Cruiser took off his helmet. Zelina smiled slightly and touched a nasty cut he had on his forehead. "Make sure you get that patched up Captain; no trying to weasel out of it either, I'll ask the other men if you got it treated if I have to."

Cruiser chuckled lightly. "Yes ma'am."

Zelina smiled a little, descending the ramp as her com link started to go off. It was Aayla.

"Padawan, do you copy, are you all right?" came Aayla's worried voice almost immediately.

"I'm all right Master, I'm on Anakin's ship right now. Cad's dead and we weren't able to get the holocron."

Aayla sighed. "It's better than the bounty hunter possessing that holocron."

"Yes, it is, isn't it," Zelina said, watching as Anakin strode by her when one of the men called him back onto the small shuttle. She noticed one of the troopers—the one who had shot Bane if she was right—trying to slink away, looking injured. She frowned. Something didn't seem right...

"Padawan? Padawan? Zelina!" Zelina jerked a little, eyes still glued on the trooper even as Ahsoka started to follow the man.

"Sorry Master, I have to go...something's not right..." she said slowly before she cut off the connection and started to make her way briskly towards the trooper and Ahsoka.

"Wait, you're injured!" Ahsoka called, rushing in front of the trooper the same moment that Zelina suddenly felt a palpable warning through the Force. Zelina tensed.

"Ahoska! Get back!" She barked as Anakin suddenly rushed off of the ramp behind her. Zelina had already broken into a run, though she was too far away when the trooper suddenly grabbed her and nailed Ahsoka in the gut, putting her on the floor in seconds. Zelina felt guilty for jumping over Ahsoka's prone form on the ground in pursuit of the trooper, but that was another matter altogether as she now was pretty sure who was really under that helmet.

Bane.

Anakin was right behind her as they both chased after the bounty hunter, each thinking of a different bone they had to pick with the bounty hunter. And of course the thought that it was Cad Bane and it was their duty not to let him get away.

Zelina winced when she saw Bane take out two hanger maintenance men with his backpack before jumping into one of the ships. Gritting her teeth in determination, Zelina hopped onto one of the wings, finding Anakin on the other one as the ship rose into the air. Anakin immediately scored a hit on Bane, and Zelina had to duck so that the helmet he'd knocked off wouldn't nail her in the face. The punch was quickly retaliated by Bane, who jerked the ship to throw them off balance. Zelina grabbed onto one of the ship pieces while Anakin flipped over with the jerk, suddenly standing in front of her. Before she could process any more than the fact that Bane had finally sealed himself inside the cockpit, Anakin grabbed her around the waist and yanked her off of the ship with him just before Bane flew through the blue shields. Zelina let out a small gasp upon impact with the ground before they rolled to their feet and tried—yet failed—to keep up with the ship as it made a beeline for the hyperspace rings.

"Admiral, lock down the hyperspace rings, hurry!" Anakin shouted into his com link.

"What could possibly have happened since I last spoke with you?" came Yularen's somewhat sarcastic reply.

"It's Bane! Lock those rings, now!"

A few moments later, Zelina sensed Bane's presence leave the system. Anakin's shoulder's slumped just slightly.